KIJSTCM _+.rologi Kolej-nivenrtt Sains :an r,llaysia

InauguralLecture of Prof.Ghan Eng Heng,phD, pJK

! Turtlo$!nIroubls

22 Juty 2004 siri syarahanfnaugurar KusTEM:T (2004) PerpustakaanNegara Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

Chan,Eng Heng Turtlesin Trouble/ ChanEng Heng (SiriSyarahan Inaugural KUSTEM :7 (200a) tsBN 983-2888-07-7 1.Turtles-Conservation-Malaysia. 2. Wildlife conservation- Malaysia.l. Title. ll. Series 597.9209595

SIRISYARAHAN INAUGURAL KUSTEM

1. SiriSyarahan Inaugural KUT 1 (2000) Fisheriesand the NationalFood Security: The MalaysianPerspective Prof. Dr.Mohd. AzmiAmbak

2. SiriSyarahan Inaugural KUT: 2 (2000) Developmentof OceanModelling: The MalaysianPerspective Prof. Dr.Alejandro Livio Camerlengo

3. SiriSyarahan Inaugural KUT: 3 (2000) Intothe Wondersof SurfactantBehaviour Prof.Dr. Hamdan Suhaimi

4. SiriSyarahan Inaugural KUT: 4 (2000) FoodChain in the Sea- ltsValues, Challenges and Prospects Prof. Dr.Lokman Shamsudin

5. SiriSyarahan Inaugural KUSTEM: 5 (2002) The FascinatingWorld of Flukes Prof. Dr. FaizahMohd. Shaharom

6. SiriSyarahan Inaugural KUSTEM: 6 (2002) The Widthis Unreachable,the Travelis at the Speedof Light Prof. Dr.lsmail Mohd.

7. SiriSyarahan Inaugural KUSTEM: 7 (2004) Turtlesin Trouble Prof.Dr. Chan Eng Heng TABLEOF CONTENTS

1. Introduction

2. MalaysianTurtles and PopulationStatus MarineTurtles 3 Tortorsesand FreshwaterTurtles 4

Causesof PopulationDecline 8 EggExploitation 8 CommercialHarvest and Trade 9 Fisherieslmpacts 10 HabitatDestruction 10 Pollution 12 Negativelmpacts of Tourism 12 lnadequateLegislation 13 Lackof Research 1? Lackof Coordinationand a NationalPolicv on Turtles 14

4. Conservationand ManagementMeasures Undertaken in Malaysia 14 Legislation 14 EggProtection ...... 15 Establishmentof Sanctuaries/ ProtectedAreas 15 Reductionof FishingMortality PublicEducation 17 Regionaland InternationalConventions and Agreements 17

5. Contributionsof KUSTEMin TurtleResearch and Conservation 17 o. ConcludingRemarks zl

7. Acknowledgements 25

8. References 26 TURTLES IN TROUBLE

lntroduction

Turtleshave evolvedover 300 millionyears to occupya vastvariety of habitatson earth. They roam the oceans,inhabit swamps, lakes and rivers,and tread grasslands,forests, deserts,lowlands and highlands.These habitatshave offeredrefuge, food, nestingand breedinggrounds and helpedthem flourishon earth.The turtlesin turn have performed theirecological roles and contributedto the maintenanceof healthyecosystems on landas wellas in the oceans.

The evolutionarysuccess of turtlesis attributedto theirbasic body form, the shellthat has remainedunchanged through time. Providedwith a naturalarmour, most specieshave foundno necessityto developstrong aggressive behaviour or offensivebody parts for self defence.The gentleand unobtrusivenature of manyof the specieshas inspiredmankind throughthe ages,helped shape his character (see Box 1) and providedhim with a much- neededsource of proteinand income.Many of the culturalpractices of nativetribes and evensome modernsocieties revolve around turtles (Kemf, ef a/.,2000).

Sadly,the contributionsof turtlesto mankindhas been short-lived.Their populationsizes that ran into the millionsin the past have becomeseverely depleted over the last few decades.The survivalof many speciesof turtlesis now in jeopardy.Six of the seven existingspecies of marineturtles are now in dangerof extinction,with three of them criticallyendangered (lUCN, 1996). Freshwater turtles and tortoisesfare no better.Nearly half of the living 300 speciesare threatenedwith extrnction,with Asia identifiedas the geographicregion with the greatestpercentage of threatenedspecies (Turtle Conservation Fund,2002). Here, trade in wild-collectedanimals from Southand SoutheastAsia for marketsin China,Hong Kong,and Taiwanhave placedthe speciesin an unprecedented survivalcrisis (Rhodin, 2000).

The turtlecrisis has promptedthe internationalcommunity to developaction plans aimed at arrestingthe extinctionpathway of turtles.ln 2002,The TurtleConservation Fund, a partnershipinitiative of ConservationInternational, the IUCN/SSCTortoise and Freshwater TurtleSpecialist Group and the IUCN/SSCTurtle SurvivalAlliance launched a GlobalAction Planfor Conservationof Tortoisesand FreshwaterTurtles (Turtle Conservation Fund, 2OO2).

Likewise,the marineturtle community developed a GlobalStrategy for the Conservationof MarineTurtlesin'1995 (lUCN, 1995). Regionalagreements such asthe MoU onASEAN Sea TurtleConservation and Protectionand the MoU on the Conservationand Managementof MarineTurtles and their Habitats of the IndianOcean and SoutheastAsia are now in forceto reversethe declineof marineturtles in thispart of the world.

The stircaused by the globalturtle crisis does not seemto haverippled through to Malaysia. Manyof the coastal communities are still bent on collectingand eating what may be the very last clutchesof eggsto be deposited.Like their counterparis in otherparts of the world,the turtlesof Malaysiaare in trouble.Three of the fourmarine species that nest on its beachesare on the vergeof extinctionwhile more than a thirdof its 14freshwater species are in dramaticdecline. Littleis knownabout the four terrestrial turtles or tortoisesthat have been recorded in Malaysia.

tuttles; i, trouble 1 Thispaper will examine the statusof the speciesof turtlesthat occur in Malaysia,highlight factorsthat threatentheir survival and assessconservation efforts currently in practicein thecountry. The role of the UniversityCollege of Scienceand Technology Malaysia (KUSTEM) throughits Sea TurtleResearch Unit (SEATRU)in turtleresearch and conservation, particularlyin bringingabout the recoveryof someof thelocal turtle populations in is also presented.

Box 1: MOTHERTURTLE

The following informationabout the tuftle was extractedfrom a letter written over 50 yearsago to Dr. E.M. Hoffmanfrom a CreekIndian elder, by the name of J.R. Daniels.

"Turtle in many tribes, is a deep and abiding spiritual symbol. The turtle is Mother Earth...andrepresents Earth's many blessingsto us. Turtle is a circle; its shell is frag- mented,but it is bound together.Just as are the many differentpeoples of our country. Turtle cannot see all of its shell, but turtle knows it is whole and all there. This is the elementthat demonstratesfaith.

Turtle is beauty.Turtle teaches cleanliness, strength, and protectionof all living things. The fortitude of turtle teaches bravery,silence, and obedienceto natural law. Turtle is a truth symbol, so speak what is true when you have dreamed of a turtle. You cannot speak truth unless you are fair and reverent to all living things. To be like turtle, is to be of character.

Keep the turtle in your heart...thenyou will be kind, unselfish,and happy.Turtleis not concerned with speed, but with accuracy. Completion is more important to a journey than haste,especially on the road of life.Turtle is the whole embodimentof wisdom.The shell rises up towards the GreatSpirit, but the shell is also downward in the directionof mother earth...seekbalance between these two...seek balance in all things,just as earth and sky are balanced.

Turtleseems ageless,truth is eternaland wisdom long lasting.She has helpedothers to becomethemselves. She taught them to swim, and gave her back so they could rest on it when tired. Just when you feel you have learnedall you can from her,turtle will teach you again.After all she is ageless.

Turtleseems never possessedof things but carriesher home within her own life. Carry your home in your heart,not in your things. Turtleis an exampleof right living and right action...Tofollow turtle is to move towards what your people call God in your life. .... Turtle keeps moving, and may even die while crossing an obstacle before giving up. Dedication and patience are its companions. While turtle is often seen alone...lt is content betweenearth and sky with its ever present home. Perhapswe too should see our environmentas our "ever present" home betweenearth and sky.

watermarkis from an aftwork by Chang Fee Ming

turtles:'.,,"trouble 2 MalaysianTurtles and PopulationStatus

Peopleare sometimesconfused over the termsturtles, tortoises and terrapins. "Turtle" is a generalterm that can be appliedto all speciesfound in the orderTestudines, i.e. reptiles whichhave a shell. Henceit includesmarine, freshwater and terrestrialspecies. Tortoises usuallyrefer to terrestrialturtles while terrapins include all speciesliving in freshwater,be theyhard or soft-shelled.All forms of turtlesare found in Malaysia.

MarineTurtles

Fourof the seven extant species of marineturtles occur in Malaysia(Fig. 1). The leatherback turtle(Dermochelys coriacea) nests primarily on the mainlandbeaches of Terengganu,along al5kmstretchofbeachcentredinRantauAbang. Thegreenturtle(Cheloniamydas)is morewidely distributed, with the most importantnesting populations occurring in andSarawak Turtle lslands. Other nesting beaches can be found in Terengganu(mainly in Redangand Perhentian lslands, Kemaman and ), (Chendor and ), Perak(Pantai Remis) and Sipadanlsland in Sabah.The hawksbillturtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)has only two remainingimportant nesting populations, in the SabahTurtle lslands(principally Gulisaan lsland) and Melaka,with remnant populations in Terengganu, Johoreand elsewhere.The nestingstatus of the olive ridley(Lepidochelys olivacea) is fragmentary,with isolated cases of nestingreported in the SarawakTurtle lslands, , Terengganuand .

CARAPACE Leatherback PLAS]RON Penyu /6--. R Belimbing YJ <=v \L-/ rongtluotnat no scutos rrog!s Figure.1. carapaca Hawksbill i*,,**,"""scutes Penyu Karah "'w'ffi A simpleidentification guideto distinguish ^@- 7-+€71-'\ betweenthe four species hawk - lrke 4 lateral/costat C rntreil!rginal of marineturtles found in scules Turtle Malaysia(Adapted from Green 1 par. of prefro^tal Beath,1981). PenyuAgar

2 pairs ot 5 -9 peirsot OliveRidley p.rlronta I t""'"" lateral sCut!S rntromargina I Penyu Lipas ,/1 -"@ @

turtles'':' trouble 3 The populationstatus of marineturtles is measuredby the numberof nestsproduced by the variousspecies per year,a figurethat can be convenientlydetermined by countingthe numberof nests depositedon the nestingbeaches. This figuredoes not providean indicationof the actualpopulation size since it measuresonly the maturefemale turtles that ascendthe beachesto nest. Further,each individuallays betweenfour to six clutchesof eggs per nestingseason. The turtlesdo not nest everyyear, with each nestingcycle separatedby an intervalof two to eightyears.

Exceptfor the Sabahpopulations, most nestingtrends are in decline.The most dramatic declinesare exhibitedin the leatherbacks,hawksbills and oliveridleys of Terengganuwhere currentnesting numbers indicate that these species are viftually extinct (Fig. 2). Theleatherback populationhas plummeted from 10,000 annual nestings in the early50's to lessthan a dozen in recentyears (Chan and Liew,1996; 2001). Although historical data is notavailable for the hawksbilland oliveridleys of Terengganu,their declines are no less dramaticthan the leatherbacks.Green turtle populations in Terengganuhave not been monitored sufficiently to providea clearpicture of the nestingtrends, but anecdotalevidence suggests declines of over80%. Current nesting density averages 2,000 per year (Fig. 2).

Nestingtrends in the green turtlesof the SarawakTurtle lslands over the last 30 years appearto be tn equilibrium,with two to threethousand nestings occuring per year (Fig. 2). Inthe early50's, nestings of over20,000 per year have been recorded, indicating a decline of over90% (Tisenand Bali,2000).

Onlythe greenturtle populations of the SabahTurtle lslands have staged a recovery,with currentannual densities of over 8,000nestings representing a threefoldincrease over levelsrecorded in the early1980's (Fig.2). Thisremarkable recovery is attributedto bold conservationdecisions made by the SabahGovernment more than 30 yearsago in the 1970'swhen the Turtlelslands were compulsorilyacquired from privateownership to providecomplete protection to the nestingturtles and theireggs on the islands.However, the hawksbillpopulation here has not faredas welland appearsto be in steadydecline in the lastten years(Fig. 2). Currently,nesting density ranges from 400 to 500 peryear. The other hawksbillnesting population of importanceoccurs in Melakawhere over 250 nests peryear can still be found(Fig. 2).

Tortoisesand FreshwaterTurtles

Tortoisesand freshwater turtles show a higherdiversity than their marine counterparts, with 257 livingspecies described to date (Ernstand Barbour,1989). About 100 speciesare nativetoAsia (vanDijk, 2000)while 18 havebeen recorded in Malaysia(Table 1, Sharma and Tisen,2000). The distributionand populationstatus of the freshwaterturtles and tortoisesof Malaysiais virtuallyunknown. The speciesthat are huntedfor localuse and exportare believedto be quitedepleted, with Chitra chifra known to be wipedout morethan ren yearsago.

turtlesir;,trouble 4 Figure2. Nestingtrends observed in the majornesting populationsof marinetuftles in Malaysia

800 Leatherback,Terengganu Hawksbill,Terengganu 140

120 600 o a 100

5 400 6 o 60 z z 40 200 20

0 1992 1994 t996 1998 2000 I 984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 l99E 2000 1984 l9E6 1988 1990 Year Year

500 Terengganu OliveRidley, Terengganu 6000 Greenturtle, 400 5000 a ,"""l 300 - -\ o o 200 z .:": \ z I 100 looo I

0 o 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 199a 2000 1984 !9A6 1988 1990 1992 t994 1996 1998 2000 Year Y ear

Greenturtle, Sabah 1000 Hawksbill,Sabah 12000 800 loooo o EOO0

q, sooo o a 2 4000 200 2000

0 0 1970 1980 ,.990 l9 70 1990 Year Y ear-

500 5000 Greenturtle. Turtle lslands Hawksbill,Melaka

400 4 000 o o) 3000 j: E zooo z 100 1000

o 1990 r992 1994 1996 199I r970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 Year Year

turtless*'strouble 5 Table1. Nativefreshwater turtles and tortoisesin Malaysiaand utilization (extractedfrom Sharma and Tisen, 2000),

Trionychidae Known use Asiaticsoftshell turtle Amyda caftilaginea Eggsas food.pet trade, as meat source,medicinal use Malayansoftshell turtle Doganiasubplana As above Asiangiant softshell turtle Pelochelys cantorii Eggsas food,medicinal use SoutheastAsian striped giant Chitra chitra Probablyas meatsource in the past softshellturtle

Bataguridae Riverterrapin Batagurbaska Eggsas food,medicinal use Paintedterrapin Callagurborneoensis As above Malaysiangiant turtle Orlitia borneoensis Pettrade, meat source GiantAsian pond turtle Heosemysgrandis Pettrade. meat source. religious use Spinyturtle Heosemyssp/nosa Pettrade, meat source, medicinal and religioususe Asian leaf turtle Cyclemys dentate Pettrade, meat source Asian box turtle Cuoroamboinensis Pettrade, meat source, religious and medicinaluse Yellow-headedtemple turtle Hieremys annandalii Religioususe Malayanflat-shelled turtle Notochelysplatynota Pettrade, meat source Malayansnail-eating turtle Malayemys subtrijuga Meatsource Blackmarsh turtle Si e be n ro c ki e I I a crassico//is Pettrade, meat source

Testudinidae Asian browntortoise Manouria emys Eggsas food,pet trade, as meatsource lmpressedtortoise Manouriaimpressa Pettrade, meat source Elongatedtortoise lndotestudoelongata Pettrade, meat source

The recordskept by the Departmentof Wildlifeand NationalParks Malaysia (DWNP) at the BukitPaloh head-starting facility for riverterrapins in Terengganuprovide an indicationof the trendsin annualeggproduction along the Dungunand Terengganu Riversfrom 1995-2001 (Fig.3). The figuresdo not representactual population status since eggs are collectedonly frombanks gazetted as sanctuaries.The downwardtrend of the graphis evidentand clearly indicatesthe steadydecline of the nestingpopulation of riverterrapins in Terengganu.In the SetiuRiver in NorthernTerengganu where no conservationprogramme exists for the river terrapin,local egg collectors report that several hundred nests were deposited annually in the past comparedto 4'1nests in 2003 and 30 in 2004.ln Perak,the numberof riverterrapin nestsdeposited along the PerakRiver plummeted from 1275in 1993to 48 nestsin 2003 (DWNq unpublisheddata).

Datafor the paintedterrapin, extracted from reports of the meetingsof the TurtleSanctuary AdvisoryCouncil of Terengganufrom 1989to 2001(Fig.4) showa declineof overT4o/o duringthat that period. According to Sharmaand Tisen (2000), the Setiuand PakaRivers in Terengganuand the LinggiRiver in Melakaeach support populations of morethan 100 nestingfemales per year.

turtles ,,, ,trouble 6 Figure3. Numberof riverterrapin eggs collected for incubationin Terengganufrom 1995 - 2001 (Source:Department of Wildlifeand NationalParks, Malaysia)

rct ZZUU o o 2000 -g o (J 1800 at, ct) ct 1600 o o 1400 o .cl E 1200 : z 1000 1S95

Figure4. Numberof paintedterrapin clutches deposited annually in Terengganu '1990-2001. from (Source:Fisheries Depaftment, Ministry of AgricultureMalaysia)

800

700

600 o o 500 o E 400 o ci 300 z 200

100

0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1S9B1999 2000 2001 Year

fssr#es frse*&fe 7 Gausesof PopulationDecline

Egg Exploitation

A longhistory of intensiveegg exploitationhas been named as one of the majorcauses that has negativelyimpacted on marineas well as freshwaterturtles in Malaysia.The species thathave been decimated due to eggexploitation include all four species of marineturtles andthe riverand paintedterrapins.

In Terengganuand Sarawakwhere hatcheryprogrammes for marineturtles have been in placesince the 1950'sand 1960's,continued egg harvestfor manydecades has led to the failureto protectsufficient numbers of eggs requiredfor turtle populationmaintenance. Governmentsanctioning of egg collectionthrough issuance of licensesand legalsale of turtleeggs in the marketsof Terengganuto this day has not only continuedto jeopardize conservationprogrammes, but has encouragedsmuggling of eggs from placeswhere its saleand exploitationhave been banned (Box 2).

Box 2: Cheaper Green Turtle eggs from Sabah a much sought-after item

New StraitsTimes, 7 July 2004

KUALATERENGGANU, Tues. - Most of the GreenTurtle eggs that are sold at severalwet marketsin the townare from Sabahas theyare cheaper.

"The localvariety of these turtleeggs are sellingfor about RM2.50each while thosefrom Sabahare around RM1.40 each," said Hasmah Mat Zain, 34, who has been selling turtle eggs for the last 10 years.

The highnumber of eggsfrom Sabah being sold in the State has a lotto do withthe pricefactor, she added.She said the eggs in the marketcame from the GreenTurtle as therewas no restrictionby theauthority on the saleof sucheggs but the sale of LeatherbackTurtle eggs was not allowedin the State.

"GreenTurtle eggs are muchsmaller in size comparedwith thoseof the Leatherbacks,"she added.Hasmah said the increasein priceof localturtle eggs over the pastseveral years was due to a steepdrop in the numberof turtlesnesting in the State.Although some customers insiston buyinglocal turtle eggs, most settle for the cheaperones from Sabah, she added.

Turtleand MarineEcosystem Centre chief Kamaruddin lbrahim said whilethere was no restrictionon the saleof GreenTurtle eggs, the salemust be donewithin the State.

"Thesale of LeatherbackTurtle eggs is totallynot allowed."On our part,we are patrollingthe beacheshere to makesure all eggsare transferredto out turtlehatcheries and are safefrom ooachers."he said.

turtlesi': t'trouble 8 CommercialHarvest and Trade

Turtleshave been tradedas an internationalcommodity for decades,resulting in wide- spreaddeclines in localpopulations. In Malaysia,the practiceof huntingand slaughtering of marineturtles for theirmeat or otherproducts does not existamong the localpopulace. However,foreign poachers encroach into Malaysianterritorial waters and rampantly harvestthe turtles,especially green turtles (Box 3). Additionally,commercial harvesting of turtlesin neighbouringcountries can impact local populations since marine turtles are highly migratory.Satellite tracking studies have demonstrated that green turtles that nest in Redang lsland,Terengganu and the SarawakTurtle lslands migrate to nearshore feeding grounds occurringin the territorialwaters of countriesbordering the SouthChina Sea as wellas the Sulu-SulawesiSea (Liewef a/. 1995,Bali, ef al. 2002).The huntingof turtlesin these countrieshave therefore contributed to the declineof Malaysiannesting populations.

Box 3 : Trawlerwith 130 dead turtles held The Star, 4 May 2004 by MUGUNTANVANAR

KOTAKINABALU: More than 130endangered sea turtles and 30 turtleshells were seized from a China-registeredtrawler that had encroachedinto Malaysia'srich Mengalumwaters, 20 nauticalmiles from here Mostof the seaturtles, believed to be of the Hawksbilland Greenbackspecies, were found dead amongthe catch of the Chinesefishermen when a marinepolice PZ patrolboat with 30 personnel interceptedthe boatafter a shortchase at 2pm on Sunday. KotaKinabalu marine police commanding officer DeputySupt Paul Khiu Khon Chiangsaid the 40-year-old skipper and 15 membersof hiscrew, agedbetween 16 and48, hadbeen detained to facilitateinvestigations by the SabahFisheries Department.All are reportedto be Chinese nationals. DeputySupt Khiu said policebelieved foreign fishingboats had beenslipping into Mengalum waterson severaloccasions to catchsea turtles andthis seizure was the largest involving these turtlesin Sabah. Confiscated:DSP Khiu (middle) and his officers inspectingthe dead tuftles in Kota Kinabalu "We believethat the fishermenhad been in our watersfor abouttwo days and were targeting the sea turtlesfound in abundancein the Mengalumarea," he said,adding that the crew left Hainan,China, two weeks ago. A totalof 130dead turtles and threelive ones as wellas 30 turtleshells were recovered from the trawler.lt was learntthat the turtlescould be preservedby stuffingor taxidermyand sold in the open marketfor a highprice. State FisheriesDepartment enforcement and preventivechief Sapli Muloksaid investigations werecentred on the FisheriesAct. The skipperof anyforeign vessel encroaching into Malaysian waters,he said,faced a maximumfine of RMl milwhile each crew memberfaced one of RM100,000 in defaultof a jail termunder Section 15 of theAct. Saplisaid the departmentwould also look into the Act for actionto be takenfor offencesrelated to the catchingof endangeredspecies, adding that suchoffences would also be discussedwith the stateWildlife Department. The skipperand the crew would be broughtto courttomorrow for a remandorder to facilitate furtherinvestioations into their activities.

turtle'':;trouble 9 Malaysiais activelyinvolved in the internationaltrade of freshwaterturtles and tortoises wherethey are exportedfor meat,traditional medicine, as petsand curiosand for religious release(Compton, 2000). The volumetraded is alarming(Tables 2 and3) and hascaused the widespreadcollapse of local populationsin non-protectedareas. The non-native speciespurportedly exported from Malaysiais an indicationof the role of Malaysiaas a transitcenter in wildlifetrade that is both legaland illegal.Chiew (2003) highlights the emergenceof PeninsularMalaysia as a regionalwildlife transit center.

Fisherieslmpacts

Incidentalcaptures in fishingnets has been cited as the majorthreat to the survivalof marineturtles worldwide. ln the southAtlantic and Gulf of Mexico.shrimo trawls catch 47,000marine turtles annually with 11 ,000 of themresulting in mortality(National Research Council,1990). ln Malaysiathe fishingindustry is well establishedin coastalareas where marineturtle nestingoccurs. Fishing gear such as trawlnets, drift nets, fish traps, long lines, purse seines, ray nets(pukat pari), lift net, and even beach seines have been identified to impacton sea turtles(Chan and Liew,2002). Rate of capturein Terengganuwas high in the pastwhere over 700 turtleswere estimatedto drownin trawl nets each year (Chanef a/., 1988), comparedto morerecent estimates of 50 turtlesdrowning per year (Chan and Liew,2002). Fishingmortality is corroboratedby strandingsof turtleswhere a total of 188 carcasses attributedto incidentalcaptures in fishinggear have been recoveredfrom the beachesof Terengganubetween 1990-95 (Ramli and Hiew,1999). Fishing mortality occurs both in inshoreterritorial waters, and on the high seas which are traversedby the turtlesduring theirlong-distance migrations between feeding and nestinggrounds.

Fishingactivities in riverswhere freshwaterturtles reside are known to be detrimental. Althoughno datais availableto quantifythe threat, interviews with localfishermen indicate thatthe terrapinsare caughtin hookand linesand othertraditional gear. Poison fishing althoughout-lawed, is stillcarried out and is certainto impacton turtlesand manyother non-targetedspecies.

Habitat Destruction

The habitatsaffected include nesting and feeding grounds. Loss of nestinghabitat for marine turtles is expectedin Malaysiawhere prime beachesare being developedfor tourism. Exceptin placeswhere turtle sanctuaries have been established (e.9. Sabah and Sarawak Turtlelslands; Rantau Abang and Ma'Daerahin Terengganu),beachfront development threatenother existing nesting beaches. In Perhentianlsland, Terengganu, beach chalets wereunder construction on a majornesting beach when visited by the authoras recentlyas June2003. Pulau Upeh in Melaka,an importantnesting site for the only remaining hawksbill populationof importancein PeninsularMalaysia has alsobeen recently sold to a private conglomeratefor development(Hiew and Sharma,pers. comm.). Besides development, activitiessuch as beachrestoration, construction of seawallsand jetties often alter nesting beachesand renderthem unsuitable for nestinq.

Feedinggrounds of marineturtles include seagrass beds (forgreen turtles) and coralreefs wherehawksbillturtlesfeedonspongesgrowingamongthecoral.Lossofsuchhabitatsthrough sedimentation,nutrient run-off, coral mining, climate change, destructive fishing methods, boat anchoringand tourism activities directly reduce food sources available to theturtles. turtles trouble 10 Table2. Exportof freshwaterturtles from PeninsularMalaysia from Januaryto October1999 (Source: Department of Wildlifeand NationalParks, Malaysia, and extracted from Sharma and Tisen, 2000)

Species Quantity Source Amyda caftilaginea 8,773 witd Pelochelys cantorii 4,300 witd Cuoroamboinensis 456,541 witd Si e be n rocki e I I a c rassicol I i s 135,121 witd Heosemys grandis 325,325 witd Orlitia borneoensls 21,972 witd Notochelysplatynota 12,300 witd Pelodiscus slnensis ,253,712 Captivebred Trachemysscripta elegans 251,460 Captivebred

Table3. CITEStrade data on turtlesexported from Malaysiafrom 1998-2002(courtesy of HelenCorrigan, Cites trade data programme officerof the UNEP-WorldConservation Monitoring Centre in Cambridge)

ReportedQuantity (No. of lifeanimals) by Species Exporter(Malaysia) 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 FreshwaterTurtles Callagurborneoensis 428 6 7RO 274 47

Tortoises Cuora amboinensis 38,746 35,036 27,7190 Geoch e lo n e carbon a ri a* z Geochelone denticulate* 1

Geochelonegigantea* Z Geochelonepardalis* 15 Geochelonesulcata* I 4 4 1 Kinixys belliana* '10 Kinixyshomeana* 2 lndotestudoelongata 700 550 olo 941 '188 ,l Manouria emys 164 An 48 219 Manouria impressa 4 2 7q *non-native species,probably on transitin Malaysia

turtles, ,;'trouhle 11 Nestinghabitats for riverterrapins are destroyedby sand-miningand constructionof dams. Directevidence exists for the BesutRiver in Terengganuwhere local egg collectorsreport thatthe terrapinsabort their nesting activities when the egg chambersexcavated reach the water table due to loss of sand.When water is releasedfrom dams, nestinghabitats becomeinundated, often submerging and destroying nests undergoing incubation. lmpacts fromdam constructionoccur in theTerenqqanu. Perak and MudaRivers.

Pollution

Pollutioncan degradefeeding grounds and impacton marineturtles. There is ample evidenceof pollutionand persistent debris in theSouth China Sea (Law and Rahimi, 1986; Chanef a/.,1996; Chan and Liew, 2003), although no studieshave been conducted locally to determinethe interactions.Organochlorine compounds, heavy metals, hydrocarbons and radionuclideshave been found in the eggsand tissues of severalspecres of marine turtlesin the US,Ascension lsland and France, but their physiological effects are not known (NationalResearch Council, 1 990). 1 The increasingincidence of fibropapillomatosisin some marine turtle populations is attributed to marinepollution that weakens the immunesystem and contrrbutes to the onsetof disease (George,1997). The diseaseis manifestedas tumoursthat occurin the conjunctiva,chin, neck,flippers, base of tail,as wellas in the lungs,liver, digestive tract, and kidneys.ltaffects mostlygreen turtles and has been reported in over 90% of the individualsin somepopulations. As of now,none of the turtlescoming ashore to neston Malaysianbeaches have been found to sufferfrom fibropapillomatosis.

Persistentmarine debris is of seriousconcern as numerouscases of accidentalingestion of plasticbags and entanglement in monofilamentfishing line and discarded fishing nets have beendocumented (National Research Council, 1990). ln Redanglsland, the authorhas receivednumerous reports of juvenilegreen and hawksbillturtles found dead and entangledin netsleft discarded in the sea.

River pollutionresulting from agriculturalrun-off and factoryeffluents can cause direct massivekills of terrapins,as reportedin the SetiuRiver several years ago (Sharma,pers. comm.).Such pollution also impacts on food sources that are vital forthe sustenance of the terraoins.

Negativelmpacts of Tourism

Marineturtles can be usedto promotetourism in a non-consumptiveway. However,negative impactsbecome evident when guidelinesfor turtlewatching and conservationare not adequatelylaid down or mandated.Over-development of fragileislands that provide nesting sites for marineturtles can quicklylead to the destructionof nestingas well as feeding habitats.Increased speedboat traffic is oftenassociated with increasedmortalities of turtles causedby propellerhits. Activities such as snorkelingand SCUBA diving can be incompatible with turtleswhen touristsare ill informedand negativelyimpact on turtlesin the water by handling,grabbing, or ridingthem. I Currently,there is no existingtourism activity associated with riverterrapins and their habitats.Any plansto introducesuch programmes have to considerall potentialnegative I impactsand providemeasures to mitigatethem.

turtles,::trouhle 12 InadequateLegislation

Legislationon marineturtles (including the paintedterrapin) in Malaysiais providedfor '1985. underthe FisheriesAct However,provisions of this FederalAct relatingto turtlesand riverinefisheries is underthe purviewof the differentstates of the country,and do not come into operationunless they have been adoptedand providedfor by the legislatureof the States.

Currently,except for Sarawakwhich has updated conservation measures under the Wildlife ProtectionOrdinance 1998 (Tisen and Bali,2000),and Sabahwhich prohibits commercial exploitationof marineturtles and theireggs, legislation in the otherstates is inadequate. Thereis no uniformityand in PeninsularMalaysia, all turtle eggs (except leatherback eggs in Terengganuand Pahang)are freely and legallytraded in the localmarkets.

Onefisheries law introduced primarily forthe protection of marineturtles is applicable through- out PeninsularMalaysia. The FisheriesRegulations (Prohibition of FishingMethods) 1985, Amendment1989 bans the useof largemesh (exceeding 24.5 cm) sunken gill nets for the captureof rays.The ineffectivenessof this law becamequite clear when fishermen started to reducethe mesh size of theirnets and continuedto drownturtles. One solutionto this problemwould be to banthe useof any sunkengill net in offshoreareas adjacent to nesting groundsduring the nestingseason. The internestingrange of the turtleshave to be determinedto ensureadequate coverage of the offshorearea that is to be protected.

The WildlifeAct1972 which applies only to PeninsularMalaysia provides protection to non- marinewild animalscovering mammals, birds, reptiles and insectsthat have been listed underseveral categories of protection.Strangely, all speciesof turtleshave been excluded and this has leftthem extremelyvulnerable to exploitation(Sharma and Tisen,2000). The urgentneed to includeall species of tortoisesand freshwater turtles in the listsprovided under the WildlifeAct 1972 has to be addressedby DWNP,the agencyresponsible for the implementationand enforcementof theAct.

It is apparentthat legislationin Malaysiathat accordsprotection to marineand freshwater turtlesand tortoisesis inadequateand variesfrom Stateto State.There is thus a need at the federallevel to reviewand harmonizeall existingstate legislature into a uniformand effectivelegislation for adoptionby all states.

Lack of Research

Whilenesting populations of marineturtles are being monitored at majornesting grounds in Malaysiato provideinformation on trendsand populationsize, basic studieson the distributionand populationstatus of freshwaterturtles and tortoisesare severelylacking. The effectivenessof restockingprogrammes for the riverterrapins in the Muda,Perak, and TerengganuRivers carried out by DWNPhave not beenscientifically evaluated. Although theseprogrammes have been in placefor morethan 20 years,the riverterrapin populations in the three riversystems have continuedto decline.There is a need not just to assess theseprogrammes, but to identifythreats which impact on the wildpopulations in orderto introducemeasures to mitigatethem.

Althoughmarine turtle nesting populations are beingmonitored, gaps still exist in many researchareas critical to the conservationneeds of the turtles.There is littledata available on thefishing mortality of the majorturtle populations and virtually nothing is knownof in- turtlest,,trouble 13 water distributionand habitatrequirements of marineturtles. Researchgaps have to be identifiedin orderto mobilizethe necessarystudies and to sourcefunding support.

Lack of Corordinationand a NationalPolicy on Turtles

Lack of coordinatedefforts between the various agencieswhich undertaketurtle conservationprogrammes, and the lack of a nationalpolicy or strategicplan on turtle conservationcan hamperthe recoveryof turtlepopulations and causethem to continue declining.In Malaysia,the lack of uniformmeasures to secureand protectimportant nestinghabitats has resultedin the loss and degradationof some importantsites. Likewise,the lackof a comprehensiverecovery plan to revitalizedeclining populations has contributedto theircontinuinq decline.

Gonservationand ManagementMeasures Undertaken in Malaysia

Legislation

Federallegislation applicable to marineand freshwaterturtles and tortoises(the Fisheries Act 1985and the WildlifeAct 1972)and their effectiveness has been discussed earlier.

Two federalfisheries laws providedunder the FisheriesAct 1985 are rn effect for the offshoreprotection of marineturtles and theyare the FisheriesRegulations (Prohibition of FishingMethods) 1985, Amendment 1989 (covered earlier) and the Fisheries(Prohibited Areas)(Rantau Abang) Regulations 1991 . The lattercreated an offshoresanctuary in Rantau Abangwhere fishing activities are regulatedduring the nestingseason to accordprotection to leatherbackturtles. Enforcementis importantif the requlationis to be effective.

Currently,only six statesin PeninsularMalaysia (K"d;, Kelantan,Terengganu , Melaka,and NegeriSembilan) have legislation related to the exploitation,licensing for egg collectionand possessionor killingof marineturtles. None of the freshwaterturtles and tortoisesare covered (Gregory and Sharma, 1997). Perak's River Rights Enactment 1915, stillin effecttoday, prohibits the trappingof turtlesduring five monthsof the yearand killing of turtles (belongingto the genera Orlitia,Callagur and Batagur)at any time without permission.lt alsogrants exclusive rights to the Rulerof theState to taketurtle eggs along specifiedareas of the PerakRiver. lt is understoodthat Perak is in the processof preparing new and moreeffective legislation to protectthe turtles(Sharma and Tisen,2000).

Legislationin the statesof Sarawakand Sabahin EastMalaysia accords better protection to turtles.In Sarawak,the WildLife Protection Ordinance 1998 lists all marineturtles and the freshwaterturtles, Orlitia borneoensisand Callagurborneoensis as "TotallyProtected Species"while other freshwaterturtles and tortoisesare listedas "ProtectedSpecies." Underthis ordtnance, prohibitions on tradeand exportof turtlesincluding their eggs, any derivativesor theirparts, provide adequate legal protection to the turtles.

In Sabah,all speciesof animalsfound within the boundariesof Sabah'sState Parks are protectedunder the ParksEnactment 1984. All marineturtles nesting in theworld- renowned SabahTurtle lslands Park are therefore fully protected. In non-protectedareas, the Wildlife Enactment1997 has a listof "ProtectedSpecies" that need to be updatedas notall species of freshwaterturtles and tortoiseshave been included.

turtles trouhle 14 Egg Protection

Malaysiahas a longhistory of turtleegg protectionprogrammes, compared to otherSouth- east Asiancountries. lncubation of marineturtle eggs in hatcherieswas initiatedin the early1950's in Sarawakand 1960'sin Terengganuand Sabah,1971in Pahang and early 1990'sin Melakaand Perak.Except for the Sabahpopulations, most of theseefforts have not been manifestedin populationrecovery because of inadequatenumbers of eggs orotected.

Sabahstarted protecting close to 100% of the turtleeggs depositedin the SabahTurtle lslandsin theearly 1970's followed by Sarawakin 1999.The current level of eggprotection in Terengganuis estimatedat only 50%. In additionto the effortsof the Fisheries Department,Ministry of AgricultureMalaysia, concerned turtle scientists of KUSTEM have raisedthe levelof egg protectionby securingeggs from a major nestingbeach in Redanglsland, Terengganu for incubationsince 1993 (Chanand Liew,1999). Turtle conservationistsadvocate that in healthypopulations, at least70o/o of the eggs deposited mustbe incubatedto ensurepopulation sustainability. In impoverishedpopulations, it is imperativethat 100%of the eggs be protectedto providehope for populationrecovery.

DWNPhas beensecuring river terrapin eggs from sand banks gazetted as protectedareas alongthe Perak,Muda (in Kedah),Terengganu and Dungun(in Terengganu)Rivers for incubationand subsequentheadstarting since the 1970's. Noneof theseriver systems have shownany populationrecovery and as discussedearlier, studies are neededto assessthe efficacyof these programmesand to identifyfactors that continueto threaten thefragile populations in theseareas.

Paintedterrapins, by reasonof the fact thatthey migrateto coastalwaters and nestalong beaches,come underthe jurisdictionof the FisheriesDepartment. The department purchasesthe eggs from licensed egg collectors for incubationin government hatcheries in Terengganuand Melaka.As in riverterrapins, there has beenno evidenceof population recoveryin thesetwo states.

Establishmentof Sanctuaries/ ProtectedAreas

Turtlesanctuaries have been established at somekey nestinglocations shown in Table4. In orderto secureall nestingsites of significanceand to preventthem from further degradation, more sanctuariesshould be establishedat the locationsshown in Table5. As long as importantnesting sites are not accordedsanctuary status, development will take placeand alongrivers, sandbanks will be mined,rendering them unsuitable for turtle nesting.

Reductionof FishingMortality

Twofisheries laws primarily for the protectionof marineturtles are in effect(see section on Legislation)in Malaysia.Other regulations such as zoningregulations provided for under '1985 the FisheriesAct prohibitany form of trawlingwithin five nauticalmiles of the shoreline.This can adequatelyprotect marine turtles from trawlersduring the nesting season.In MarineParks where nesting sites of greenand hawksbillturtles can be found, Parkregulations prohibit fishing within a radiusof two nauticalmiles surrounding the island or islandgroups. These measures are effective in protectingthe turtles during the internesting periodsas theyhave been found to remainwithin one nauticalmile of the shoreline(Liew andChan. 1993). turtles tr*ub8* 15 Malaysiais implementingthe Codeof Conductfor ResponsibleFisheries and by doingso contributesto the reductionof bv-catchthat includemarine turtles.

Table4. Turtlesanctuaries that have been established in Malavsia.

YEAR STATE NAMEOF SANCTUARY ESTABLISHED

Terengganu RantauAbang Tudle Sanctuary 1988 Ma' DaerahTurtle Sanctuary 2003 PasirTemir, Hulu Terengganu 1977 PasirLubok Kawah, Hulu Terengganu I 978 PasirKumpal, Dungun 1991

Perak PantaiJabatan. Perak River 1975(?\ '1984 Sabah Turtlelslands Park

Sarawak Talang-SatangNational Park 1999

Table5. Turtlenesting sites that shouldbe declaredturtle sanctuaries (afterSharma and Hiew,2003)

STATE LOCATIONOF NESTINGSITES

Terengganu Nestingbeaches on Redanglsland Nestingbeaches on Perhentianlsland SetiuRiver lagoon and river mouth

Pahang Beachat Cherating

Perak SegariBeach

Melaka PulauUpeh TanjongTuan Beachat PengkalanBalak

turtles,;,,trouble 16 PublicEducation

Publiceducation and awarenessis oftencited as an importantissue in the conservationof endangeredspecies. The Malaysianpublic is quitewell-informed of the statusof marine turtlesin the countryas the localmedia has providedample coverage. Other activities such as long-termturtle volunteer programmes, turtle camps and otherawareness programmes conductedby the FisheriesDepartment, World Wide Fund Malaysia and SEATRU, KUSTEM havehelped increase public awareness on marineturtles. However, awareness of the plight of tortoisesand freshwater turtles is almostnon-existent. Some of thesesoecies have been traditionallyserved in Chineserestaurants as exoticsoups. In orderto halt the trade, educationas wellas appropriatelegislation is necessary.

Regionaland InternationalConventions and Agreements

At the regionallevel, some initiativeshave been made to developregional marine conservationprogrammes. The Turtlelslands Heritage Protected Area (TIHPA),a transboundaryprotected area in the SuluSea was establishedin 1996between Sabah and the Philippinesto managejointly the largemarine turtle populations occurring there. The MoUon ASEAN Sea Turtle Conservation and Protectionwas signedin 1997while the MoU on the Conservationand Managementof MarineTurtles and theirHabitats of the lndian Oceanand SoutheastAsia was concludedin 200'1.Malaysia has yet to ratifythe latter.

At the globallevel, the Conventionon lnternationalTrade in EndangeredSpecies of Wild Faunaand Flora(CITES), to which Malaysiais party,serves to curb internationaltrade of marineturtles and theirparts. Other conventions like the Conventionon BiologicalDiversity and Conventionon Wetlandsof Internationallmportance Especially as WaterfowlHabitat, that have been ratifiedby Malaysia,promote conservation of wild animalsand plantsthat includesturtles.

Gontributionsof KUSTEMin TurtleResearch and Conservation

The involvementof KUSTEMin turtleresearch and conservation dates back to the mid 1980's whenit was then still part of UniversitiPutra Malaysia. The scientists formed a unitknown as the SeaTurtle Research Unit (SEATRU)with research initially focused on the leatherbackbut was expandedlater to includethe otherspecies of marineturtles. Realising the sururvalcrisis facing the country'sfreshwater turtles and tortoises,a riverterrapin research and conservation programmefor Terengganu was launched in 2003.Plans are undenruay to conductfield studies on otheraquatic and semi-aquaticspecies as wellthe tortoisesbecause information on the distributionand statusof wildpopulations is severelylacking,

With the inclusionof studieson freshwaterturtles and tortoises,the name of SEATRUis being changedto the Centrefor Turtle Researchand Conservation(CTReC). The formationof CTReChas beenapproved by KUSTEM'sBoard of Directorsand a proposalis beingsubmittedforfundingunderthe9thMalaysiaPlan.WiththeestablishmentofCTReC, the name of KUSTEMwill be reinforcedas the centerof excellencefor the studv and conservationof all soeciesof turtlesin Malavsia.

On-goingand completedresearch activities carried out by KUSTEMscientists on turtles are shownin Box4. Thisresearch has resultedin the publicationof over130 articles

tUrtleS;,,,.,tfOUble 17 coveringscientific papers in peer-reviewedjournals, conference proceedings, workshop reports,unpublished reports and educationalmaterials (see Box 5 for a selectionof these works).The vital informationresulting from completedresearch has formedthe basisfor importantrecommendations made by KUSTEMto relevantgovernmental agencies for the conservationof marineturtles in Malavsia(see Table 6 for someexamples).

Box 4: On-goingand completedturtle researchcarried out in KUSTEM

1. Riverterrapin research and conservation programe in Terengganu.Seed money has been awarded by theTurtle Conservation Fund (TCF) administered in USA. Fundingapplication from IRPA(grants awarded for the Intensificationof Researchin PriorityAreas by the Ministryof Science,Technology and the EnvironmentMalaysia) is in process.

2. Satellitetracking of hawksbillturtles from Chagar Hutang Beach, Redang lsland, a jointresearch project withthe SouthwestFisheries Science Center Honolulu Laboratory, National Marine Fisheries of NOAA, USA.The satellitetransmitter and Argos service was fullysponsored by NOAA.

3. Satellite{rackingproject on Malaysiansea turtles, conducted jointly with Prof. Wataru Sakamoto from Kyoto University,Japan. The satellitetransmitter and Argosseryice was fully sponsoredby Kyoto University.

4. Taggingand nestingresearch on the seaturtles of PulauRedang. This project was initiatedin 1993in PulauRedang and is nowcontinued as a long-termon-going project. lt wassupported by lRPAfunding underthe 6thMalaysia Plan and is nowsupported by fundsgenerated from donations made by private corporations,international schools and the public.

5. /n-sltuincubation of greenturtle eggs in Redanglsland. This on-going project is also supported by funds generatedfrom donations made by privatecorporations, international schools and the public.

6. Radio,ultrasonic and satellitetracking of sea turtlesfrom the SarawakTurtle lslands, a completed projectconducted jointly with the SarawakForestry Corporation and fully funded by IRPAgrants awarded to SarawakForestry.

7. Sex ratiostudies on the greenturtles of the SarawakTurtle lslands. Funded as in above.

8. Taggingand nestingresearch on the sea turtlesof Sabahand SarawakTurtle lslands. Carried out as finalyear research projects of undergraduates.

9. Radio,ultrasonic and satellite telemetry of thegreen turtles of Terengganu.Funded by an IRPAgrant to KUSTEMscientists.

10. Radio-trackingthe internestingmovements of leatherbackturtles. Carried out in collaborationwith Drs.Scott and KarenEckert of USA and fundedjointly by an IRPAgrant and the TerengganuState Government.

11. Divingbehaviour of leatherbackturtles. Carried out andfunded as above.

12. Geneticstudies on Malaysiansea turtles. Funded by an IRPAgrant to KUSTEMscientists.

13. Ultrastructureof sea turtleeggshells. Carried out in collaborationwrth Dr. SallySolomon of the Universityof Glasgowduring the author'ssabbatical leave.

14. Factorseffecting hatching success of sea turtleeggs. Funded by theTerengganu State Government.

15. Sex-ratiostudies on Malaysiansea turtles. Funded by grantsfrom lRPAand Esso Production Malaysia Sdn.Bhd.

'16. Effectsof fishinggear on seaturtles. Funded by a grantfrom Esso Production Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.

17. Associationof sea turtleswith offshoreplatforms. Carried out collaborativelywith Esso Production MalaysiaSdn. Bhd.

18. Effectsof oil pollutionon sea turtles.Carried out as a reviewof publishedliterature.

fus€fes frcss&fe 18 Box 5: A selectionof publishedwork by KUSTEMscientists.

1. Chan,E.H. in press.Marine turtles in Malaysia:On the vergeof extinction?In: Aquatic Ecosystems of Malaysia:Health, Sustainability and Management.Ecovision World Monograph Series. 2. Chan,E.H. & Shephard,C.R.2002, Marine Turtles: The scenarioin SoutheastAsia.Tropical Coasts, Vol.9(2) : 38-43 3. ChanE.H. & Liew,H.C. 2002. Saving the turtles saves ourselves. UN Chronicle,Vol. XXXIX (1) : 38-39 4. Chan E.H. & Liew,H.C. 2002. Raisingfunds and publicawareness in sea turtleconservation in Malaysia.Pp.25-26 in: Mosier,A, A. Foleyand B. Brost(compilers). Proceedings of the 20thAnnual Symposiumon SeaTurtle Biology and Conservation.NOAATech. Memo. NMFS-SEFSC-477. 5. Bali,J., Liew,H.C., Chan, E.H, & Tisen,O.8.2002. Long distance migration of greenturtles from the SarawakTurtle lslands, Malaysia. Pp 32-33in: Mosier,A, A. Foleyand B. Brost(compilers). Proceed- ingsof the20thAnnual Symposium on SeaTurtle Brology and Conservation. NOAATech. Memo NMFS- SEFSC.477. 6. Liew,H.C. & E.H.Chan. 2002. An Analysisof TaggingData on the GreenTurtles of Redanglsland, Malaysia.Pp. 135-136in: Mosier,A, A. Foleyand B. Brost(compilers). Proceedings of the 20rhAnnual Symposiumon SeaTurtle Biology and Conservation.NOAATech. Memo NMFS-SEFSC-477. 7. Chan,E. H. and H.C.1iew.2001. Sea Turtles. Pp.74-75 in: Ong, J.E. and W.K. Gong (eds.). The Encyclopaediaof Malaysia,V. 6: The Seas. EditionsDidier Millet, Kuala Lumpur. 8. Chan,E.H. 2000. And the giants ascended no more.Millenium Marker Story. 10 January 2000, Section 2. The Star.Po. B & 10. 9. Chan,E.H. and H.C.Liew. 1999. Hawksbill turtles, Erefmochelys imbricata nesting on Redanglsland, Terengganu,Malaysia from'1993 to 1997.Chelonian Conservation and Biology.3(2):326-329 '1999. 10. Chan,E.H., J.Joseph and H.C.Liew. Astudyon thehawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) of Gulisaan,Sabah Turtle lslands, Malaysia. Sabah Parks Journal. 2:11-23 11. Chan,E.H.andH.C.Liew.l996.DeclineoftheleatherbackpopulationinTerengganu,Malaysia, 1956- 1995.Chelonian Conservation and Biology.2(2): 196-203. 12. Chan,E.H.andH.C.Liew.l996.AManagementPlanfortheGreenandHawksbill TurtlePopulationsof the SabahTurtle lslands. A Reportto SabahParks. SEATRU, Faculty of AppliedScience and Technology,Universiti Pertanian Malaysia Terengganu. 102 pp. 13. Chan,E.H. and H.C.Liew. 1996. lncubation temperatures and sex-rations in theMalaysian leatherback turlle,Dermochelys coriacea. Biol. Conserv. 2(2): 196-203 14. Chan,E.H. and H.C. Liew.1995. In-situ incubation of greenturtle eggs in PulauRedang, Malaysia: Hope after decadesof egg exploitation.Proc. InternationalCongress of ChelonianConservation, 6-10July 1995, Gonfaron, France, Pp.68-72. 15. Liew,H.C. and E.H.Chan. 1995. Long distance migration of greenturtles from Redanglsland, Malaysia:The needfor regionalcooperation in seaturtle conservation. Proc. International Congress of ChelonianConservation, 6-1 0 Julv'1995, Gonfaron, France. Pp. 73-75. 16. Chan,E.H. 1993. Interactions between fisheries and sea turtles. Fishmail,5(3), pp. 12-15. 17. Chan,E.H. 1993, The conservation-related biology and ecology of theleatherback turtle, Dermochelys coriacea,in RantauAbang, Terengganu, Malaysia. Ph. D. dissertation, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Jaoan. 18. Liew,H.C. and E.H. Chan. 1993.Biotelemetry of greenturtles (Chelonia mydas) in PulauRedang, Malaysiaduring the internesting period. Pp. 157-163 in : P.Mancini, S. Fioretti,C. Cristalliand R. Bedini (eds.).Proceedings of the TwlefthInternational Symposium on Biotelemetry,31 Aug.- 5 Sept.1992, Ancona,ltaly. 19. Chan,E.H., S.A. Eckert, H.C. Liew and K.L. Eckert. 1991 , Locatingthe internesting habrtats of leatherback turtles(Dermochelys coriacea) in Malaysianwaters using radiotelemetry. Pp. 133-1 38 in : A. Uchiyama andC.J. Amlaner, Jr. (eds.), Biotelemetry Xl: Proc.Eleventh International Symposium on Biotelemetry., 29Aug. - 4 Sept.1990, Yokohama, Japan. Waseda University Press, Tokyo, Japan. 20. Chan,E.H. and H.C.Liew. 1990. The offshore protection of Malaysianleatherback turtles. Pp. 213-218 in : S.M.Phang, A. Sasekumarand S. Vickineswary(eds.). Research Priorities for MarineB Nov.1989. UniversitiMalaya, Kuala Lumpur. 21. Chan, E.H. 1990.Educational materials on sea turtles- producedby the Sea TurtleResearch and ConservationProject, Universiti Pertanian Malaysia. Pp. 289-290 in : S.M.Phang, S. Sasekumarand S.Vickinneswary (eds.). Research Priorities for Marine Sciences, Proc. 1 2th Annual Seminar, Malaysian '1989. Societyof MarineSciences, 1B Nov. UniversitiMalaya, Kuala Lumpur. 22. Chan,E.H. and H.C.Liew. 1989. Charting the movementsof a sea giant.Research News, Universiti PertanianMalaysia, 3(4), pp 1,7& 8. 23. Chan,E.H. and H.C. Liew.1989. The leatherbackturtle: A MalaysianHeritage. Tropical Press, Malaysia.49 pp. '1989. 24. Chan,E.H. and S.E. Solomon. The structureand functionof the eggshellof the leatherback turtle,(Dermochelys coriacea) from Malaysia,with noteson infectivefungal forms. Animal Technology, 40 (2),pp. 91-102

turtles trauble 19 Box 5: A selectionof publishedwork by KUSTEMscientists. (cont'd)

25. Chan,E.H. 1989.White spot development,incubation and hatchingsuccess of leatherbackturtle (Dermochelyscoriacea) eggs from Rantau Abang, Malaysia. Copeia, 1989(1), pp. 42-47. 26. Chan,E.H. 1988.A noteon the feedingof leatherback(Dermochelys coriacea) hatclings. Pertanika, 11(1),pp.147-149. '1988. 27. Chan,E.H., H.C. Liew and A.G. Mazlan. The incidentalcapture of sea turtlesin fishinggear in Terengganu,Malaysia. Biol. Conserv., 43(1), pp. 1-7. 28. Chan,E.H.l9SS.AnupdateontheleatherbackturtlesofRantauAbang,Terengganu,Malaysia.Marine TurtleNewsletter.42. o. 4. 29. Chan,E.H. and H.C.Liew. 1988. A reviewon the effectsof oil-basedactivities and oil pollutionon sea turtles.Pp. 159-167 in :A. Sasekumar,R. D'Cruzand S.L.H. Lim (eds.). Thirty Years of MarineScience Researchand Development.Proc. Eleventh Annual Seminar. 26 March1988. Malaysian Society of MarineSciences, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 30. Chan,E.H.l9SS.TheseaturtlesofMalaysia:Acolouringbookwithabilingual textinBahasaMalaysia and English.Universiti Pertanian Malaysia. 1B pp. 31. Chan,E.H.andH.C.Liew.l9BE.SeaturtlestrandingsinTerengganu.Pp. l69-'170inA.Sasekumar, R. D'Cruzand S.L.H.Lim (eds.).Thirty Years of MarineScience Research and Development.Proc. EleventhAnnual Seminar. 26 March 1988.Malaysian Society of MarineSciences, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 32. Chan,E.H. 1987.The seaturtles of Malaysia.Nature Malaysiana, 12 (1),pp. a-9. 33. Brahim,S., E.H. Chan and A.K. Rahman. 1987. An updateon thepopulation status and conservation of the leatherbackturtles of Terengganu.Pp. 69-77 in :A. Sasekumar,S.M. Phang and E.L.Chong (eds.). '1987. TowardsConserving Malaysia's Marine Heritage. Proc. Tenth Annual Seminar. 28 March Malaysian Societyof MarineSciences, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 34. Chan,E.H. 1986.Development of the whitespot on leatherbackeggs. Marine Turtle Newsletter, 39, o.8. 35. Chan, E.H. 1986.The giantleatherback turtles of RantauAbang, Terengganu. Pelita, 1/1986, pp.24-29. JO. Chan,E.H. 1985. Twin embryos in unhatchedegg of Dermochelyscoriacea. Marine Turtle Newsletter, 32,pp.2-3. 37. Chan,E.H., H.U. Salleh and H.C. Liew. 1985. Effects of handlingon hatchability of eggsof the leatherback turlle,Dermochelys coriacea (L.). Pertanika, B(2), pp 265-271.

Table6. Significance/applicationof research findings of KUSTEM in turtleconservation

Research Significance

1 Monitoringthe survivaland growthof head- Providedthe impetusfor the initiationof a long- startedrrver terrapins in the SetiuRiver term egg protectionand head-startingproject on the riverterrapins of the SetiuRiver

Discoveryof long-rangemigratory pathways Expeditedthe formulation of regionalmarine andfeeding grounds of nestingturtles of turtleagreements and memorandaof under- PulauRedang. standing.

Determinationof rangeof interesting Ledto the establishmentof the RantauAbang movementsof Ieatherbackturtles. RestrictedFishing Zone for the protectionof leatherbackturtles.

Assessmentof conservationstatus and Led to the introductionof in-situegg incubation hatchery-relatedresearch of marineturtles in programmesin Redanglsland. Terengganu.

Long{ermrn-sltu egg incubationin Chagar Increaseslevel of egg protectionin Pulau Hutang,Pulau Redang. Redang.KUSTEM is now responsiblefor over 70% of the eggsprotected and incubatedin PulauRedang.

6 Long{ermtagging and nestingresearch in Helpsmonitor status of an endangeredspecies PulauRedang. on a lono{ermbasrs.

turtlesixrtrouble 20 KUSTEMhas also provrdedtrarning to graduatesand undergraduatesof the universityby encouragingthem to undertakeresearch on turtles.34 studentresearch projects on various aspectsof turtlesare given in Box 6, Some of these studentshave taken on academic positionsin localuniversities and continuedto maintaintheir research interest in turtles.

In additionto carryingout scientificresearch to supportturtle conservation, KUSTEM is also directlyinvolved in practicalturtle conservation projects. One of these is the grass- rootsgreen turtle conservation project based in ChagarHutang Beach, Pulau Redang. The projectintegrates in-situ egg incubationwith taggingand nestingresearch, community educationand participationand a volunteerprogramme (the SEATRUwebsite ',i .'i:.,1a.,'.,-'1.,'L'.,|,.:,:',i.t-r,:l;provides a description).The projectgained international recognitionwhen its scientistswere electedto the Global500 Rollof Honourby the United NationsEnvironment Programme in 2001(see Box 7 for details).

The newlylaunched river terrapin project, another practical conservation project aims to securethe maximumnumber of terrapineggs possible for incubation,head-starting and releaseover the nextten years (Chan et al.,2004). Because the speciesis recognizedas oneof the mostcritically endangered freshwater turtle species in the world,the projecthas attractedinternational attention and is orofiledin the AsianTurtle Conservation Network website(www.asianturtlenetwork.org). This augers well as fundingprospects improve with projectvisibility.

Withthe knowledgethat publicparticipation is vitalfor the successof conservationwork, KUSTEMhas developedinnovative public participation projects that serveto educatethe publicas well as raisefunding necessary for the conservationwork. The volunteer,nest, turtleand terrapinadoption programmes (details of adoptionschemes are givenin Box 8) link turtleresearch and conservationto the generalpublic and impartto them the notion thatevery individual has a roleto performin the conservationof nature.

By takinga multi-prongedapproach in the researchand conservationof turtlesin Malaysia, KUSTEMhas set a uniqueexample in itsquest to saveone of themost endearing, fascinating, benevolent,yet criticallyendangered group of animalsever to treadthe earth.

ConcludingRemarks

The turtlesof Malaysiaare in trouble,but if politicalwill existsand agenciescharged with protectingthe nation'sturtles and other concernedinstitutions and individualscome togetherto savethese remarkable creatures, they can be assuredof theirrightful place in Malaysia.While some of the speciesmay appearto be beyondredemption at thisstage, otherspecies can stillbe foundin largenumbers. These species need immediate urgent protecttonbefore they too join the extinctionpathway of the leatherbacks,olive ridleys and otherfreshwater and terrestrialtuftles.

Theestablishment of CTReCin KUSTEMwill consolidate the positionof the universityas the centreof excellencefor researchand conservation on allspecies of turtlesin the countryand perhapsoffer hope for the survivalof turtlesin Malaysia.

turtles| r etrouble 21 Box 6: Graduate and Undergraduate Research on Turtles

Master of Science

1. SohChong Leng. Pending. The biologyand ecology of riverterrapins (Batagur baska) in Terengganu. 2. ChenPelf Nyok. Pending. Head-starting the riverterrapin, (Batagur baska) in Terengganu,Malaysia. 3. MoritaMasayuki. On-going. Red ant predationof greenturtle nests and its controlin ChagarHutang, PulauRedang. 4. JamesBali. On-going. Biotelemetric Studies on the greenturtles (Chelonia mydas) of the Sarawak Turtlelslands. 5. ChaiSauSan.2002 Sandtemperatureprofileandsexratioofgreenlurlle(Cheloniamydas) hatchlings of SarawakTurtle lslands, Malaysia. Pushpalatha M. Palaniappan.1997. Temperature profiling and sex ratiosof greenturtle hatchlings (Chelonia mydas) of ChagarHutang Beach in PulauRedang, Terengganu, Malaysia. 6. JuanitaJoseph. 2000. Studies on the populationgenetics of green(Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill (Eretmochelysimbricata) turtles in Malaysiausing DNA microsatellites. 7. PushpalathaM. Palaniappan.1997. Temperature profiling and Sex Ratiosof GreenTurtle Hatchlings (Cheloniamydas) of ChagarHutang Beach in PulauRedang, Terengganu, Malaysia.

Undergraduate Final Year Research

B. AkokAnakRamba. On-going. Ghost crab predatron of greenturtle nests and hatchlings in PulauSatang, Sarawak. 9. DayangNur Dianbte. Mhd.Dinsik. On-going. Nest site selectionof greenturtles in ChagarHutang, PulauRedang. 10. NinaFinola bte. Alipa, On-going. lsolation and identificationofbacteria occurring in thesand and nests of greenturtles in PulauSelingaan, Sabah and Pulau Redang, Terengganu. 11. Soh Chong Leng.2004. A studyon the distribution,movement and growthof captive-raisedriver terrapins(Batagur baska) and wild paintedterrapins (Callagur borneoensls) in SetiuRiver. 12. NattanaSimon. 2004. Seawardmovement of greenturtle (Chelonla mydas) hatchlings and their predationin Ma'Daerah, Kerteh, Terengganu. 13. Chan Kian Weng. 2003.Temporal pattern of nocturnalemergence of Greenfuile (Cheloniamydas) hatchlingsfrom natural nests in ChagarHutang, Pulau Redang. 14. PamelaVeronica Marsh. 2003. Relationship between clutch size and hatchingsuccess of the Green fufle (Cheloniamydas) in ReCanglsland. 15. ChanSiewLen.2003.ThermalconditioninnestsofvaryingclutchsizeofGreenTurlle(Cheloniamydas) in Redanglsland. Terengganu. Malaysia. 16. LiewChiow Yen. 200'1 . Detection of DNAPolymorphisms in PaintedTerrapins (Callagur borneoensis) usingthe RAPDMethod. 17. ClareWong Hui Ling. 1999. Tagging and nesting studies of greenturtles (Chelonia mydas) Pulau Talang- talangKechil, Sarawak. 18. ChaiSau San.1999. A comparisionof hatchsuccess and sex ratiosof greenturtle (Chelonia mydas) eggsincubated under in situconditions and in hatcheriesin PulauTalang{alang Kechil, Sarawak. 19. OngAi Pyng.1999, Digestibility and growthstudies on the greenlurlle (Chelonia mydas). 20. PangAKNyukang.'l999,Kajiankeataspersaranganpenyuagar(Cheloniamydas)danpenyulipas (Lepidochelysolivacea) di PulauTalang-talang Kechil, Sarawak. (Astudy the nesting behaviour of green turtle(Chelonia mydas) and olive ridley(Lepidochelys olivacea) turtles in PulauTalangtalang Kechil, Sarawak). 21. AndoraHemaFredericksJohn.1998.Ghostcrab(Ocypodespp.) predationongreenturlle(Chelonia mydas)nest and hatchlingsin ChagarHutang, Pulau Redang. 22. JuanilaJoseph. 1997. Tagging and nestingstudies of greenturtle (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill (Eretmochelysimbricata) in PulauGulisaan, Sabah, Malaysia. 23. ClintMarsilliue Tiwol. 1997. Sex ratioof hawksbill(Eretmochelys imbricata) and green (Chelonia mydas) turtlehatchlings incubated under different conditions in PulauGulisaan, Sabah. 24. ClarenceB. JoannesSigam. 1997. A comparisionof in-situand hatcheryincubation techniques for hawksbill(Eretmochelys imbricata) and green (Chelonia mydas) turtle eggs rn Pulau Gulisaan, Sandakan, Sabah. 25. WendyJennifer Livinu. 1997. Effects of temperatureon sexualdifferentation of the paintedterrapon, Callagurborneoensis. 26. WanSomarny bt. Wan Md. Zain. 1996. Kesan akar ke atas penetasan telur penyu agar (Chelonia mydas) di ChagarHutang, Pulau Redang. (Effects of plantroots on hatchabilityof greenturlle (Chelonia mydas) eggsin ChagarHutang, Pulau Redang).

turtles,;,;trouhle 22 Box 6: Graduateand UndergraduateResearch on Turtles (cont'd)

27. BurhanJapar. 1 995. Kajiankadar pemangsaan ke atasanak tetasan penyu agar (Cheloniamydas) di ChagarHutang, Pulau Redang. (A study on the predation of greentuile (Cheloniamydas) hatchlings in ChagarHutang, Pulau Redang). 28. Mohd.HaizambinAhmad.l995.Ka.iiankeatasstatusekonomi pemajakdanpemajakantelurpenyudi Terengganu.(A studyon the economicstatus of turtleegg collectorsand economicsof the egg tenderingsystem in Terengganu). 29. ZainalAbidin bin Hadzir.1995. Kesan sampah sarap di permukaanlaut ke atasanaktetasan penyu agar \Cheloniamydas). (The effects of floatingdebns on greenturtle (Chelonia rnydas) hatchlings). 30. Pushpalathaa/p M. Palaniappan.1994. The effectsof retentionperiod, incubation period and incubationmethod on turtlehatchling vigour. 31. Heng Hau Tong.1 992. Efiectsof variousfeeds on the growthand survivalof soft-shelllurtle, Trionyx slnensisWiegmann. 32. Malarvenia/p Periasamy. '1990. Pergerakan dan orientasi anak tetasan penyu belimbing (Dermochelys coriacea)terhadap beberapa jenis parameter fizikal dan kimia.(The efiects of severalphysical and chemicalparameters on the movementand orientationof leatherback(Dermochelys coriaceal hatchlings). 33. Lee Loh. 1989.Kesan cahaya ke atas gerakbalaspenyu belimbing. (The effectsof lighton the movementof leatherbackturtles), 34. K. RamnickLal Verma. 1988. A studyon the digestibilityof squid,jellyfish and macrozooplanktonby leatherbackhatchlings.

GreenTurtle Hatchling

turtles',, tro,uhle 23 Box 7

Global500 Rollof Honourof the UnitedNations Environment Prooramme

Awardedto KUSTEMScientists in recognitionof outstandingpractical achievements @) @) in the protectionand improvementof the environmentin 2001 UNEP

Commercialharvesting of sea turtleeggs in Redanglsland, Malaysia have provided the islanderswith a readysource of incomefor manydecades. The local Government considers this to be a traditionalright of the islanders,and henceissues annual licenses for turtleegg collection,consumption and sale.This practicehas inevitably led to thedecline of turtlenesting populations in Redang,to theextent that the turtles are nowfaced with imminent extinction.

The SeaTurtle Research Unit (SEATRU) of the UniversityCollege of Scienceand Technology Malaysia havemade many appeals over the lastseveral years to the localgovernment to stopissuing licenses for turtleegg collection,Realizing that the appeals cannot take immediate effect, SEATRU scientists started to raisefunds from the publicto helpthem buy the eggs over from the ilcensedegg collectors for incubation andprotection at ChagarHutang beach, the major nesting beach rn Redang. The eggs are leftto develop in theirnatural nests and hatchlingswhich emerge are allowedto maketheir way naturallyto the sea to replenishthe decliningpopulation.

Overthe last decade, SEATRU has effectively stopped the passage of morethan 300,000 turtle eggs to the markets,and saved them from human consumption. Through the egg protection programme, over a quarter millionhatchlings have been released to the oceanfrom a beachwhich had neverseen hatchlings beino producedbefore the initiationof theturtle conservation programme.

SEATRUhas adheredto the "ln-slfu"incubation concept in whichthe eggsare left in therrnatural nests to developand notdug up and relocatedto hatcheries.This practice ensures a mixedsex-ratio output in the hatchlingsproduced as well as optimalhatch rates. SEATRU has alsomade significant contributions to advancethe causeof conservationthrough research. Their satellite tracking studies have provided the impetusfor the developmentof regionalcollaborative turtle conservation programmes in SouthEastAsia. Longterm tagging studies of greenand hawksbill turtles are now generating information on thepopulation dynamicsof theturtles which is vitalfor assessingand formulating further conservation measures.

A conceptcalled S.T.O.P. (Sea Turtle Outreach Programme) has also beendeveloped by SEATRUto enableindividual members of thepublic to becomedirectly involved in sea turtle conservation eforts through a volunteerprogramme, and nestand turtleadoption schemes. A localEnglish daily has run monthly featureson the comprehensiveturtle conservation programme undertaken by SEATRUin orderto reacha wideraudience and create greater awareness among the Malaysianpublic on the urgentneed to savethe turtles.SEATRU also has its own website(www.kustem.edu.my/seatru) to help reach a globalaudience andgive greater transparency to theprogram. The work of SEATRUhas also been featured in a 25 minute documentaryby NHK,the Japanese Broadcasting Corporation, in 1999.S.T.O.P. has been so effectivethat it is nowserving as a modelfor otherturtle conservation programmes in thecountry.

Throughthe various turtle camps conducted every year for the children of Redang,SEATRU is reachingthe childrenof theegg collectors and appealing to themnot to eatturtle eggs, as in doingso, they are efectively killingturtles. Seeds of awarenesshave been planted among the children,and a senseof prideand love createdfor the unique environment that they share with the turtles. Talks are also given to theegg collectors periodicallyand strong appeals made to themto helpsave the turtles, a nationaltreasure.

The effortsof SEATRUhave touched many hearts in Malaysiaand demonstratedthat what is nowbeing donefor one importantnesting beach in Redangcan be usedas a modelto initiatesimilar conservation programmesfor other importantnesting beaches throughout the countryMore importantly,SEATRU has helpedinstill a senseof responsibilityand prideamong the generalpublic in thatas privatecitizens, they canand havedone something to helpsave an endangeredspecies.

turttresit:.trouble 24 Box 8 Swethe lurths an[ (errafins Camyaign

KUSTEMis involvedrn a projectto savethe marineturtles of PulauRedang and riverterrapins of Sungar Setiu,Terengganu from extinction. Funds are raised to helppurchase turtle and terrapin eggs from local egg collectorsfor hatching.Marine turtle hatchlings are allowedto crawlto the oceanupon emergence while riverterrapin hatchlings are raisedin captivityfor one to threeyears before release into the SetiuRiver. We wouldlike to inviteyou to contributeto thisworthwhile project by participatingin our nesland turtle/ terrapinadoption schemes. Each adoption will be providedwith the following: . An adootioncertificate . An officialKUSTEM receipt for yourdonation (tax-deductible if your lC no.is provided) . Informatronabout your nest or turtle(will be sentlater) . An exclusivegift

MarineTurtle and NestAdoption Scheme Allnests purchased are incubated in their natural sites in ChagarHutang, Pulau Redang. One nest adoption costsRM200 while one turtle adootion costs RM100. TerrapinAdoption Scheme Youhave a choiceof adoptinga terrapinto be raisedfor one / two / threeyears beforerelease. Adoption rates are as follows:

. Oneterrapin to be raisedto oneyear : RM150 . One terrapinto be raisedto two years : RM250 . Oneterrapin to be raisedto threeyears : RM350

Acknowledgements

I am indebtedto the FisheriesDepartment of Malaysia,Sabah Parks Authority, the Wildlife Departmentof Sabah,the SarawakForestry Corporation and Departmentof Wildlifeand NationalParks Malaysia for use of statisticscollected by the respectiveagencies. I wouldalso liketo expressmy gratitudeto the followingpersons who havecontributed to the preparationof this publication: . HelenCorrigan, Cites trade data programmeofficer of the UNEP-WorldConservation MonitoringCentre in Cambridgeresponded instantly upon my requestfor CITESdata, madethough my friendHilary Chiew. . Graphswere producedwith the help of my son, JeremyLiew Jee Weng,and my graduatestudent, Soh ChongLeng, who also helpedinsert the figures,tables and boxesin the correctplaces. . The photographused in the backcover was takenby my daughter,Liew Shao-Yi. . Chen Pelf Nyok,another of my graduatestudents, photographed the watermarkin the backcover, helped sort out the referencesand checkedmy finaldraft. . My friend,EMS, read my draftand mademany useful suggestions. The hawksbillon the cover is creditedto U. Keuper-Bennettand P. Bennettwhile that of the olive ridley is extractedfrom a posterproduced by the QueenslandDepartment of EnvironmentalHeritage Prof.Dato' Dr. Mohamed Mahyuddin Mohd Dahan, the Rectorof KUSTEMis acknowledged for supportingturtle research and conservationover the years. Finally,to allpeople who havecome into my lifeand offered help, support and encouragement, a big thankfrom the bottomof my heart. turtles.;;trouble 25 References

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turtlesisgtrouble 27